Why do animals learn to Walk faster than humans?

Summary

Who Smarted? Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Why Do Animals Learn to Walk Faster Than Humans?
Date: October 1, 2025
Hosts: Atomic Entertainment / Starglow Media
Featured Voices: Main Narrator (A), Officer Copper (C), Sidekick/Broadcast Voices (B, D)

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Episode Overview

This episode of "Who Smarted?" dives humorously and engagingly into the science and history behind walking. The hosts travel—through storytelling—to the famed Laetoli footprint trail in Tanzania and unravel why human babies take so much longer to learn how to walk compared to other animals. Listeners of all ages are treated to fascinating evolutionary facts, scientific studies, and the far-reaching benefits of walking for our bodies and brains, all punctuated by playful banter and trivia.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What is a "Gait"? & The History of Walking

• The word "gait" describes how a person or animal walks. The episode compares walking in sports (a “walk” in baseball) to natural walking in evolutionary history.
  • Memorable joke: “No, not a gate to your backyard, but a gait, which describes the way a person walks.” – A [00:31]
• The hosts visit Laetoli, Tanzania, where 3.6 million-year-old hominid footprints were discovered, providing evidence that early human ancestors walked on two feet (bipedalism).
  • Quote: "These footprints are proof our hominid ancestors were bipedal walkers… for millions of years." – Officer Copper [01:44]

2. Why Do Humans Take So Long to Walk?

• A trivia quiz poses this central question:
  • Is it because A) human brains are too complex and busy, B) other animals are secretly smarter, or C) all mammals take their first steps at the same brain development point?
  • The hosts reveal an intriguing answer: Scientists once believed A, but research now shows C is correct—all mammals start walking at a similar brain development stage (from conception), but the duration to reach that stage depends on brain mass and development speed.
    • Quote: “All mammals take their first steps around the same point in brain development.” – Officer Copper [05:03]
• The variable is brain mass—larger brains (like humans) take longer to mature, so humans spend more time developing before walking.

3. Evolutionary Timeline: How Long Have Humans Walked Upright?

• Humans have been walking upright (“bipedal:” using two feet) for about 6 million years.
  • Trivia: "Is it 60,000 years, 600,000 years, or 6 million years?" The answer is 6 million years. – A [07:04]
• Our ancestral species, Australopithecus afarensis (who made the Laetoli footprints), already had features designed for walking long distances.
  • This adaptation helped humans move across diverse environments and freed our hands for tools, food, and carrying babies.

4. Walking Changed Human History

• After 6 million years of perfecting walking, it took only about 80,000 years for humans to populate the globe.
  • Quote: "It only took 80,000 years for our species to populate the entire globe." – A [07:56]

5. Surprising Benefits of Walking for Body & Brain

• Walking offers many scientifically proven benefits:
  • Improves heart health by pumping blood and oxygen to muscles and organs
  • Boosts new connections between brain cells
  • Increases the volume of the hippocampus (the brain’s "memory center")
  • Slows aging-related “shrinking” of brain tissue and encourages new neuron growth
  • Associated with being more open, extroverted, agreeable, and less depressed
  • Walking regularly improves memory and mental mapping
  • Quote: “A 20 year study found those who move their bodies more often tended to be more open, extroverted, and agreeable.” – Officer Copper [14:10]

6. How Walking Enhances Memory and Creativity

• The brain generates theta waves during walking—these are linked to learning and spatial memory (building a "mental map" of your environment).
  • “Theta waves are a pulse observed in the brain during movement that aids learning and memory… Studies have shown walking is the best way for humans to learn about the environments they move through.” – Officer Copper [14:47]
• Experiments with animals show the brain’s “place cells” work best when walking—not when being wheeled around. Humans, too, map new places best by foot.
  • Quote: “This system is going on in the background of your brain… making sure you don’t trip, collide, or walk into traffic.” – A [16:17]

7. Flickering: The Brain’s Multitasking During Walking

• The brain “flickers” between regions while walking, which is linked to creativity and mental flexibility.
  • “Flickering is both connected to creativity and bolstered by walking, which is why most creative geniuses loved to take walks.” – Officer Copper [16:45]
• Famous walkers: Aristotle, Einstein, Beethoven, Maya Angelou, Dickens, Ben Franklin – and mathematician William Rowan Hamilton, who solved a complex math problem during daily walks.
  • Quote: “William Rowan Hamilton... pondered a single math problem on daily walks for seven years. He eventually invented a number system called quaternions, which proved essential to the production of mobile phones.” – A [17:10]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The footprints are proof that links in the human evolutionary chain have been walking on two feet for millions of years.” – C [01:51]
• “All mammals take their first steps around the same point in brain development.” – C [05:03]
• “If a pig’s brain were given more time to develop, a pig could be as smart as a human.” – A [06:17]
• “After nearly six million years of walking, it only took eighty thousand years for our species to populate the globe.” – A [07:56]
• “A walking regimen slows the withering or shrinking of brain tissue caused by aging and increases molecules that stimulate the growth of new neurons.” – C [13:28]
• “Theta waves are a pulse or frequency observed in the brain during movement that aids learning and memory.” – C [14:47]
• “Flickering is both connected to creativity and bolstered by walking, which is why most creative geniuses loved to take walks.” – C [16:45]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00-01:31 — Introduction, definition of walking (“gait”), Laetoli footprints
• 02:17 — Main question: Why do humans learn to walk slowly?
• 04:51-06:38 — Brain development and walking: all mammals, role of brain mass
• 06:44-07:56 — When did bipedalism start? Evolutionary history & early humans
• 08:11-08:29 — Walking’s role in global human migration
• 12:59-14:28 — The science-backed benefits of walking for body and brain
• 14:37-15:21 — Walking, theta waves, mental mapping, hippocampus explained
• 15:44-16:45 — "Flickering" and multitasking brain, creativity, and movement
• 16:45-17:28 — Creative geniuses & walking; William Rowan Hamilton's story

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Tone & Style

• The tone is playful, witty, and highly engaging, blending humor with accessible science and history. There are interactive trivia questions, jokes, and friendly banter between the narrator and Officer Copper. The information is structured to foster curiosity and fun while still delivering accurate, up-to-date science.

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Conclusion

This episode of "Who Smarted?" seamlessly mixes historical trivia, evolutionary biology, and neuroscience to explore why humans learn to walk later than most animals. It’s packed with surprising facts: All mammals walk at a similar developmental brain stage, but humans take longer because of our big, slow-growing brains. Walking wasn’t just crucial to our ancestors spreading across the planet—it’s still one of the best things you can do for your body, your mind, and your creativity.

Memorable final moment:
“Let’s do some walking.” – C [17:35]
“Yes. I love walking and talking.” – A [17:40]

Special shoutout to listener Nate in Morristown, Tennessee: “Everything talks—even statues and penguins!” [17:49]

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For more episodes that mix laughter, learning, and a little bit of walk-and-talk magic, keep tuning in to “Who Smarted?”—the podcast that’s smart, funny, and loved by all!

Transcript

[A]

And now it's time for who smarted? Psst. Hey, smarty pants. Question. What takes four balls, two feet and a gate? If you said a walk, you're right. In this case, we're talking about a walk. In baseball, if the pitcher throws four pitches outside the strike zone.

[B]

Oh, just a little outside.

[A]

That's what's known as a ball. Four balls and the batter gets to walk to first base.

[B]

And that's ball four. Take your base.

[A]

Which of course requires two feet and a gate. No, not a G, A T E, like the gate to your backyard, but a gait gate, which describes the way a person walks. Now you're probably wondering what's with all this talking about walking? Well, for one thing, I am coming to you from Laetoli, Tanzania, at the Laetoli footprint trail, where 3.6 million years ago, the footprints of our prehistoric ancestors were preserved in wet volcanic ash. Kind of like the footprints of famous actors and actresses outside Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California. I recall my feet were half as big as Dwayne the Rock Johnson's. Hmm. But I wonder if they'll be bigger than my prehistoric ancestors. All I have to do to find out is take a walk in their footsteps.

[C]

Hold it right there. Do not take another step.

[A]

Who are you?

[C]

Officer Copper. I'm an APD officer. An APD officer in the anthropology police department. And you are in danger of disturbing an invaluable prehistoric site. This isn't the Chinese Theater in Hollywood. You can't just walk around in these prehistoric footprints.

[A]

Sorry, I just thought.

[C]

These footprints are proof our hominid ancestors were bipedal walkers.

[A]

Oh dear. And also. Huh?

[C]

They're proof that links in the human evolutionary chain have been walking on two feet for millions of years.

[A]

Millions of years. Wow. I guess I really stepped in it, huh, smarty pants?

[C]

Almost stepped in it. It's a good thing I was here.

[A]

Absolutely. In fact, I'm really glad you're here because you must know a lot about walking if you patrol the Laetoli footprints.

[C]

When it comes to walking, I talk and walk the walk.

[A]

Great. Hey, smartypants, have you ever wondered why it takes so long for humans to learn how to walk compared to, say, other animals? Or why humans walk upright to begin with? Or how walking affects your body and brain?

[C]

Great questions. I'd be happy to answer them.

[A]

In that case, it's time to lace em up for another whiff of science and history on who smarted?

[B]

Who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun on who's smarting.

[A]

You know, when I was a kid, the times I learned the most weren't in school. They were when I was building or making something new. I still remember the joy of creating something with my own two hands. That's exactly what Kiwico brings to kids today. With Kiwico, every crate is a chance for your child to tinker, create, and innovate. They'll learn the fundamentals of science, technology, engineering, art, and math while actually having fun. I love that these projects build skills over time. One month it's learning to design a working bow and arrow, and the next it's building a robot. And what makes Kiwico special is that these aren't one and done projects. They're built to last, so kids can play, experiment, and keep discovering long after the box is open. Kiwico makes it easy to give your child the gift of curiosity and confidence delivered right to your door. Tinker, create, innovate. Get up to 50% off your first crate at kiwico.com with promo code smarted. That's K-I W I C O.com, promo code smarted. Smarty pants. Walk with me. So why do you think it takes so long for humans to learn to walk compared to other animals? Is it because A, the size and complexity of human brains cause babies to learn too much at once, so walking takes A while, B, other animals are secretly smarter and laugh at our foibles behind our backs, or C, all mammals take their first steps around the same point in brain development? If you said B, that animals are secretly smarter and laughing at us, you are wrong. Phew. I'd hate to think my pets were laughing at me. But if you said, A, humans take longer to walk because our brains are so large and complex. Buzz. Wait. That's incorrect, too. I thought that was the right answer.

[C]

Precisely. That was the right answer. Or rather, the prevailing theory until a landmark study showed that all mammals take their first steps around the same point in brain development.

[A]

Okay, okay, but how does that explain why a baby elephant walks at just one day old and a human baby takes close to a year to walk? Do elephant brains really develop that much faster?

[C]

Yes and no. Okay, the missing variable is mass. Specifically, brain mass. Since humans have a larger brain than elephants, it takes longer for your brain to mature and for you to learn to walk. Whoa, wait.

[A]

I thought you said the size and complexity of human brains weren't a factor in Learning to walk?

[C]

I didn't say they weren't a factor. What I said was that's not the reason animals learn to walk before humans. What we need is a conception of time from conception.

[A]

Huh?

[C]

During the landmark study on walking, researchers measured brain development from the time of conception or the creation of life. Compared to other mammals, humans grow an unusual small portion of their brain in the womb, which helps explain why babies take so long to reach their walking milestone.

[A]

True or false, smarty pants? The human brain is similar to other mammals, except for the fact that our brains are given more time to develop. If you said true, you're correct. Hold on, really?

[C]

That's what the findings suggest.

[A]

So, in theory, if a pig's brain were given more time to develop, a pig could be as smart as a human.

[C]

That's an extreme hypothetical, but sure, why not? Humans evolved to have a large brain that takes a long time to mature, but the development track is strikingly similar to other mammals. Who's to say after a couple million more years of evolution, pigs could be as smart as humans?

[A]

Wow, that really makes you think.

[C]

They certainly could be walking on two feet by then.

[A]

Why do you say that?

[C]

Because early humans were walking on two feet long before our larger brains evolved.

[A]

Smarty pants, how long do you think humans have been walking on two feet? I'll give you a clue. We kind of hinted at the answer in the intro to the episode. Is it 60,000 years, 600,000 years, or 6 million years? The answer is 6 million years.

[C]

Whoa.

[A]

Whoa is right. Humans have been walking for a long.

[C]

Time, give or take a million years.

[A]

Uh, did you just say give or take a million years?

[C]

The further back we look, the harder it is to be exact. But what we do know is that our early human ancestors, Australopithecus afarensis, the same species that made the Laetoli footprints, were bipedal walkers with long thighs, sturdy knees, and arched feet similar to human legs and feet today.

[A]

Bipedal, meaning two feet.

[C]

Exactly. So to make a six million year. Long story short, natural selection made humans good walkers, which made it easier to move through diverse environments. With our hands free, we could gather food, carry tools like smartphones and babies before they learned to walk.

[A]

Nice. True or false, smarty pants? After nearly 6 million years of practice walking, it only took 80,000 years for our species to populate the entire globe. If you said true, that's correct, yes.

[C]

Around 100,000 years ago, our species began migrating out of Africa. Shortly thereafter, we were found in Europe and asia. And around 16,000 years ago were found in the Americas. Researchers believe the rapid spread began with.

[A]

Say it with us, smarty pants. Walking ball four.

[B]

Take your base.

[A]

No, not that kind of walking. That kind of walking. In short, early humans adapted to move. Hmm. That makes me wonder. How have our bodies adapted to 6 million years of walking? What about our brains? And what surprising things happen to us when we go for a simple walk? The answers to those questions and more right after this quick break. And a word from our sponsor. October 10th is World Mental Health Day, and this year we're saying thank you to therapists. Behind every person who takes a step forward on their mental health journey is a therapist who showed up, asked the right question, or created a moment that changed everything. BetterHelp therapists have supported more than 5 million people worldwide. That's millions of stories and millions of small wins that add up to big changes. Personally, I'll never forget the first time in therapy when my therapist really helped me see a challenge from a new angle. It was like a light bulb went on. That's why I'm so grateful for the therapists who help people every day. BetterHelp makes it easier to begin your own journey by matching you with a licensed Therapist online. With 12 plus years of experience and thousands of therapists, chances are they'll find the right match for you this World Mental Health Day. Celebrate the therapists making a difference. Our listeners get 10% off the first month at betterhelp.comwhosmarted that's betterhelp h lp.comwhosmarted Whosmarted is brought to you by Squarespace. Now, you know I'm good about creating new adventures and episodes of Whosmarted, but you don't know that I procrastinate on other stuff, like a website for one of our new projects. Oops. When the website builder Squarespace reached out about sponsoring Whosmarted, I decided to test it out. And now I feel silly for putting off building that website. Squarespace's blueprint AI thing literally built me a custom website in minutes. I just told it a few details about the project and boom, it generated everything. And everything you need is right there. I can schedule guest interviews, send email campaigns, even sell merch, all from one dashboard. Now it's your turn to stop procrastinating and start building. You can use Squarespace to launch that business site or any site that you've been dreaming about. But putting off today, there's no excuse anymore. Especially since you can head to squarespace.com smarted for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, you can use Code smarted to save 10% on your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com smarted autumn is in full swing, and if your homeschool is anything like the ones I know, fall is a time to get back into routines while still juggling field trips, co ops, and even prepping for the holidays. That's where IXL comes in. It keeps your lessons structured and steady while giving you the flexibility that homeschool families need. What I love most about IXL is how personalized it is. IXL adapts so kids can move forward when they're ready or revisit a topic until it really clicks. IXL is an award winning online learning platform with interactive practice across math, language arts, science and social studies for every grade from Pre K through 12. It gives kids the right challenge at the right time, keeps them motivated, and gives parents real time feedback and progress tracking. Over 15 million students already use IXL and more than 75 research studies prove that it really works. There's real peace of mind for homeschool parents. Make an impact on your child's learning and get IXL now. WhoSmarted listeners get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when you sign up today at ixl.com smarted. That's 20% off at ixl.com Smarted. Now back to who smarted? Ah, there's nothing like taking a nice walk outside to get some fresh air, clear your head, and stretch your legs. But here's the thing, smarty pants. What do you think actually happens to your body and brain when you go for regular walks? Does your heart pump faster and circulate blood and oxygen to your muscles and organs? Does walking help make new connections between your brain cells? Does the volume of your hippocampus, a brain region connected to memory, increase? Or all of the above? You probably hear where I'm going with this, but yes. If you said all of the above, you're right. Wow, it sounds like walking is some kind of wonder drug for your body and brain.

[C]

Agreed. But that's not even close to all the benefits walking provides.

[A]

You mean there's more?

[C]

Oh yeah. A walking regimen slows the withering or shrinking of brain tissue caused by aging and increases molecules that stimulate the growth of new neurons.

[A]

Ooh, that's cool.

[C]

But wait, there's more. Scientists have determined that the nature of your thoughts are tied to the movement of your body. Consider exercise music. Psychologists have shown that songs with higher tempos motivate you to run Faster. And the faster you run, the higher tempo song you prefer.

[A]

Smarty pants. They call that a feedback loop.

[C]

In a similar way, walking at your natural pace creates a feedback loop between the rhythm of your body and your mind. In other words, walking helps connect you to yourself.

[A]

That's pretty heady stuff. Literally.

[C]

Indeed, a 20 year study tracking subjects, activity levels and personality traits showed the mental benefits of this feedback connection. The researchers found those who move their bodies more often tended to be more open, extroverted and agreeable. Data also supports that walking on a regular basis lowers rates of depression.

[A]

That's incredible. True or false, Smartypants? Movements such as walking helps improve memory. If you said true, you're right.

[C]

It might sound unbelievable. But the brain systems that support learning and memory also support mental mapping, which is kind of like your internal Google Maps.

[A]

That's pretty cool. But how does it work?

[C]

It works thanks to something called theta waves. Theta waves are a pulse or frequency observed in the brain during movement that aids learning and memory. Theta is associated with spatial learning and. And studies have shown that walking is the best way for humans to learn about the environments they move through.

[A]

That's like if you go on vacation to a place you've never been before. All it takes is walking around a few times to learn where to go.

[C]

More or less. Which isn't to say that you wouldn't get a similar result by riding a bike or driving slowly in a car. But the theta waves in your brain help you draw a mental map much easier when you're walking.

[A]

I definitely feel more connected to my environment when I'm walking than say, riding in a car.

[C]

Exactly. Remember the hippocampus, that region of the brain connected to memory that increases in volume when you walk regularly.

[A]

Uh huh.

[C]

Well, that's the region of your brain responsible for mental mapping.

[A]

In other words, that's the part of your brain that helps you figure out.

[B]

Hey man, where am I exactly?

[C]

Inside your hippocampus, place cells mark your position. If you stay still, that position's place cell continues to fire. However, if you move positions, the old place cells quit firing and another cell fires Mark like it's tracking you. Correct. In experiments with rodents, this system was less efficient when they were wheeled around compared to walking around, which once again shows how much your brain prefers walking.

[A]

Wow, I've never thought about that.

[C]

Well, that's just it. You don't have to think about it. This system is going on in the background of your brain. The background in the foreground. Other brain systems are making sure you don't trip or collide with a passerby, or step in a puddle, or walk walk into traffic.

[A]

Smarty Pants what does scientists call this dual background and foreground activity in the brain during walking? Is it flickering, flip flopping, or walking and chewing gum? If you said flickering, you're right.

[C]

According to studies, your brain flickers between regions while walking, similar to how your thoughts flicker from one subject to another, or memories of the past, things in the present, and stuff coming up in the future. Flickering is both connected to creativity and bolstered by walking, which is why most creative geniuses love to take walks. Aristotle, Einstein, Beethoven, Maya Angelou, Charles Dickens, and Ben Franklin were all avid walkers.

[A]

Did you know A famous Irish mathematician, William Rowan Hamilton, pondered a single math problem on daily walks for seven years. He eventually invented a number system called quaternions, which proved essential to the production of mobile phones.

[C]

I did not know that.

[A]

Oh, and smarty pants, did you know the plural of hippocampus is hippocampi?

[C]

That I knew. But also, are we just gonna stand around? Let's do some walking.

[A]

Yes. I love walking and talking.

[C]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Not that way. Down the Laatoli Trail. We can make our own footprints in the mud headed in the other direction.

[A]

Ah, yes. Good idea. A special shout out to Smarty Fan n in Morristown, Tennessee, whose family listens to who Smarted. Every night before bed, we hear Nate's favorite thing about Whosmarted is that everything, including statues and penguins, talks. Yep, that might be my favorite part of being a trusty narrator. Thanks for smarting with us this episode. Walking was written by Dan Gold and voiced by Natasha Vaynblatt and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn. Our associate producer is Max Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.

[B]

Who Smarted?

[D]

Hey parents. We'd like to know more about what your child listener thinks about our podcast. And we'd like to know a little bit about you, the parent. So we're asking you to fill out our short survey with your child. As a thank you, we'll give you a chance to win one of three $100Amazon gift cards. Fair deal. Check out the survey at starglowsurvey. Com. That's starglowsurvey.com.